News

17 Times a Grandfather, Once a Kona Competitor

Kona Inspired winner Dean Bullock heads to Kona buoyed by the support of his nine children and 17 grandchildren.

by Gaylialynn Osterlund

The ICU wing of a hospital isn't ideal training ground for IRONMAN preparation. Yet that’s where Kona Inspired winner Dean Bullock of South Jordan, Utah fit in a bit of walking this past May just 24 hours after his second brain surgery for a Grade IV Glioblastoma Multiforme—an aggressive and often deadly form of brain cancer.

Bullock, a 59-year-old father of nine with 17 grandchildren, came to endurance sports later in life. He was 34 when a friend challenged him to see who could lose the most weight. He took up running and won the bet, going from 200 pounds to 160, then went on to complete IRONMAN St. George (twice), IRONMAN Coeur d'Alene and 25 marathons.

But last July after a midweek run, Bullock was bothered by an unusual headache. When it had not improved several days later, a trip to the hospital uncovered a tumor the size of a tennis ball in his brain. He was scheduled for brain surgery four days later.

On the day of surgery, the family waited anxiously together at the hospital for news from the doctors.

"One of the surgeons came out and told us the tumor had been removed, and they were stitching him up," one of his children wrote on the Team IronDean blog. "The bad news was the mass was malignant. Dad had cancer."

The elevator ride up to Bullock’s room was filled with silence and tears. Once in the solitude of his room, Bullock’s wife, Kris, gathered the family in a circle and reminded all of them that their dad was a fighter.

"This battle is your dad’s IRONMAN for this year," she said. "He needs all of us to be strong."

The next phase of treatment called for six weeks of combined radiation and chemotherapy followed by another ten months of chemo, but Bullock’s never-give-up attitude kept him training in spite of his prognosis.

Amazingly, at the end of the 10 months, Bullock completed IRONMAN 70.3 St. George with five of his children. It was considered miraculous to recover from the cancer, but even more so to regain the fitness necessary for the rigors of racing. Ever the competitor, Bullock still grimaced when he mentioned that all of his kids beat him that day.

"I beat the kids at the last IRONMAN we did together," he shared. "I guess I have some work to do before Kona."

Bullock is an IRONMAN who chooses not to be defined by the brain cancer. He attributes his remarkable story to the many blessings of his family, friends and his belief that his Heavenly Father is in charge. His Kona Inspired campaign was born from his family’s desire to watch the person who has spent his life making sure they were happy and taken care of achieve his own dream.

"Three of my children are rotating weeks to help me train," Bullock said, quietly and with deep gratitude. "I feel bad they won’t have anything to show for it come October 12th."